Thoughts: This is Why - Paramore
Paramore has worked very hard to not become another early aughts nostalgia act. In an era where their fellow genre stalwarts are either celebrating a return to form (Fall Out Boy) or ceasing to exist (Panic! at the Disco), they often feel like the last band standing. The secret to their prolonged success is their ever-evolving sound; they’ve bounced from their Hot Topic-core debut to emo-tinged ballads (Brand New Eyes), arena-pleasing anthems (Paramore), and to 80’s pop (After Laughter). Every time they’ve proven themselves to be more resilient than their peers. This is Why, their newest transformation, doesn’t quite redefine their sound in the same way, but it does offer a consolidation of sorts. The album explores adult anxiety with post-punk heft.
Similar to Taylor Swift’s Midnights, This is Why feels like a synthesis of several of Paramore’s sonic strong suits. Opener “This is Why” takes their trademark guitars and adds Talking Heads-esque funk. “The News” reminds me instantly of One Beat-era Sleater-Kinney, and “You First” evokes early 2000s dance rock. “Liar” finds the band in ballad mode, and album highlight “Figure 8” features two competing riffs orbiting around each other just like the title promises. Though they cover a lot of ground, it’s not quite as adventurous as the genre-hopping Paramore. It all feels of a piece, so if you’re into moody Paramore over fun, poppy Paramore, you’ll feel at home here.
Haley Williams, the singer and main songwriter of the band, has had quite the rollercoaster ride since After Laughter’s release— her much-publicized divorce led to two solo records that flexed her versatility. They both included introspective lyrics that focused on her mental health, and This is Why feels like a continuation of those themes. Most of the songs here explore Williams’ daily stressors; “Running Out of Time” is about the guilt you feel when you just don’t get around to that thing you wanted to do. Relatable, Haley! Meanwhile, “C’est Comme Ca” gives us a peek at her laundry list of anxieties, and in “Thick Skull” and “Figure 8” she finds herself in a cruel cycle, destined to repeat over and over again.
Other songs on the record are more pointed in their criticism. “Big Man, Little Dignity” and “You First” find Williams targeting an ex-lover with the same venom as previous Paramore songs “Aint it Fun” and “Playing God.” “The News” instead focuses on the toxicity of doomscrolling through our fraught political and social landscape; Even though the song’s heart is in the right place, the lyrics come across as a bit generic. “This is Why” similarly falls a bit flat for me in this department, as the “anyone could be canceled at any moment!” sentiment is a little hard to swallow. Perhaps that’s not what she’s going for here, but it’s hard not to think the song is a long-festering reaction to the “Misery Business” discourse. I much preferred “Crave,” a beautiful description of a moment in your life so amazing you want to relive it forever. You switch it with “Thick Skull” and it’s an all-timer of a closing track.
While not all of the songs worked for me, This is Why is still an incredibly tight package, all the more impressive when you consider the journey that Paramore has been on since their inception. Many of the the themes will resonate with the listeners that have stuck with them over the course of their career, and maybe even get them to dig up “Remain in Light” or “Silent Alarm” from their nearest record store. Paramore have earned the right to make a solid, well-produced, yet flawed album like this, just like their predecessors.
